


Just like me

by CucumberJuice



Series: Resurrecting Elias [1]
Category: Noli Me Tangere & Related Works - José Rizal
Genre: Crack, Crack Pairings, Filipino Literature, Gen, Jose Rizal - Freeform, implied Elibarra
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-10
Updated: 2013-04-10
Packaged: 2017-12-08 01:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/755507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CucumberJuice/pseuds/CucumberJuice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jose Rizal, alone in his prison, was reliving the characters of his novel when he gets an untimely and most unexpected visitor by one of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just like me

Jose Rizal wrote Elias’ character profile in the Create Book from Sakura Card Captor and thus bringing life to the once fictional character.

He thought it was nothing, that the book does not bring fantasies to life, that a fiction will remain fiction no matter how you shape and reshape the real world. But little did he know there was already a (handsome and hot) young man standing in the corner of his cell before he even brought his description of Elias to an end.

It took Elias a couple of calls before Rizal look up from the book and finally notice a row of perfect white teeth. It was almost frightening to see a floating set of teeth reflecting light but only when he squinted he saw a figure hidden beneath the layers of shadows.

"How have you entered?" Rizal asked rather calmly. What he really meant to say were “who are you?” and “how did you get past the guards?”

The man in question took a step out of the shadows and rolled his eyes. "Please, master, don't be... disappointingly dumb."

Our about-to-be national hero blinked. Twice. He was called dumb. By a supposed nonexistent character of his own novel. By a supposed nonexistent person that is supposed to have died by the end of his own novel.

Elias simply raised an eyebrow at the lack of answer. This was also the time Jose Rizal remembered to close his mouth, if only for a second, before speaking again. “You really are… you can’t… how did you…?”

So maybe it was more of a stutter than an actual decent speech. But at times such as this, an author does not have any reason to quarrel the denial of the laws of literary physics.

He tried to regain composure as Elias advanced towards him, gradually walking into the pathetic patch of light provided by the window. He looked exactly as Rizal imagined him to be. Tanned and toned, with piercing black eyes and messy raven hair. He was perfect.

Elias paused and cocked his head to one side. “How about a talk? You look like you need some reassurance.”

The perfect rows of teeth showed again. Rizal finally managed a complete sentence.

“Are you here to revenge upon me for killing you?”

Elias sighed. Perhaps his master needs a little smack on the head to bring back a bit of his decency.

~0~

Fifteen minutes later, Jose Rizal returned to his calm composed self and finally greeted Elias, his extraordinary visitor who seemingly came from nowhere, properly. In that small span of time, Elias managed to force the sanity of our hero back and eat his fine share of hard boiled eggs. (Rizal asked for extra servings from the guards.) He was nothing but a soulless entity that he does not mind the consequences of eating too many eggs. He’ll be leaving anytime soon, after all. Magic does not last very long.

“So you say you are here because they accuse you of treason and of starting a revolution you know not of?” He asked and waited for Rizal to swallow his food to answer.

But, he did not. Verbally that is. Rizal ate again, putting all the food gathered on his spoon in his mouth. He just nodded.

“My family was put to prison, tortured, looked down upon, and was convicted of more ridiculous crimes than yours,” Elias continued. “What is the Philippine government doing?”

Jose Rizal smiled and spoke in between choking. “The Spanish government controlling the Philippines, you mean,” he corrected and chuckled at the disgusted look of Elias.

“What is the Philippines government doing? Elias repeated, acquiring a wider smile from his creator.

 _I believe I taught him well_ , Rizal thought. It was about time for the Philippines to form her own governing party and overthrow the current abusive foreign one. However, violence was not always the only answer to their matter. The rest thought it was.

“Your novels have somehow contributed to the violence, master.”

Rizal was taken aback by Elias’ statement and almost choked. That would have ended his life if not for the glass of water on the table. Not only was that statement derogatory, but how was Elias able to read his thought?

“Had you not written them.” Elias was now looking through the small window, perhaps mesmerized by the sunlight. He died at night after all. “They would not thought of rebellion.”

 _I taught him **too** well_. “I guess.”

And then silence took over as Rizal continued to eat. They both didn't mind however, letting the silence reign, and thought on their own.

The silence did not become awkward even. They were both satisfied by the company each other gave. That is until a third person joined in their quiet merriment.

“May I?” The person at the other side of the bar called. He was wearing a Spanish military uniform and a great big smile. In his hands was a bottle of wine. _One of the finest_ , Elias thought.

“Merry Christmas,” he greeted as Rizal’s guards opened the lock.

Rizal spared a quick worried glance at Elias, who in turn answered with a reassuring smile. “Worry not, master, no one can see me but you.”

Rizal turned to face his new visitor and took his hand for a shake. “Merry Christmas, Senor Andrade.”

When Rizal looked back again towards Elias, he was gone, retreated to the shadows. A faint darkened figure sat on the cold floor, a figure only Rizal can see.

 _Today is Christmas day_ , Elias told himself. _I died earlier. I remember. I remember everything._

_He was slowly drifting into the impending darkness as he watched the boy build a fireplace around him and his mother’s corpse. Elias tried breathing little by little, patiently waiting for the sun to rise._

_But he was already burning before he saw it._

Suddenly, he was here and he knew everything.

~0~

He didn't know how much time has passed. He only knew it was quite a lot. He and Rizal are waiting for the final decision of the court in his cell. He was anxious albeit he already knew the outcome. His patience and calmness do not come to par with his master, be it Jose Rizal or Crisostomo Ibarra.

Rizal punched his shoulder lightly, pulling him out of his thought. “Worry not, my friend.”

_My friend._

“You are not afraid to die?” Elias asked.

“I am not afraid to sacrifice my life for my country as you are not afraid to sacrifice yours for Crisostomo.” The way Rizal smiles at him was unbelievably insulting.

_Your words pain me... His words surprise me._

Elias only wanted Senor Ibarra safe for he wanted to preserve the innocence he himself once has before tragedy fell on his life. He wanted to protect this man as well. Jose Rizal reminded him too much of the person he failed to save.

Senor Ibarra. Simoun.

“You very well know why I want senor Ibarra safe,” Elias said rather defiantly. He couldn’t hide the blush creeping on his face.

Rizal laughed. “Sometimes characters are too powerful to control. “He laughed harder. “If I don’t know any better, I would have guessed you are in love with Cri-“

The laughter stopped when a representative from the trial arrived. His apparent death was announced.

~0~

The following days passed by quickly. Jose Rizal spent the day writing farewell letters to his loved ones while Elias busied himself, reading a copy of Rizal’s novels he’s stolen from somewhere. And at night, Rizal reminisced. Elias listened with interest as Rizal talked and talked about his past, wanting to know more about him more than anything.

His master told him that he patterned his character over himself. And although the tragedies that he witnessed were a number of folds more gruesome, he was still the personification of his creator. He didn’t know whether to feel proud or bad because of the intensified tragedies.

He also learned that he is the darkness Senor Ibarra did not posses and that his passing caused the same darkness he had to unearth from the man, creating a vengeful demon thirteen years after.

Simoun.

“Maria Clara?” Elias asked. “Her death must have a greater impact than mine.”

Rizal just smiled. The ever so smug grin Elias came to despise overtime. There was a secret in that smile. Something Rizal didn’t want anyone to know.

Elias decided not to bother.

~o~

At the strike of 6 in the morning, both men were awoken by the clanging chime of the prison bars being open. Another Spanish military officer came in and announced the official details of his death. Rizal was then relocated to the prison chapel where he continued his writings and entertaining visitors. He almost had no time to talk to Elias and it made him quite lonely. He didn’t want to bother his master any longer so he hid himself deep within the shadows, silently watching.

Rizal didn’t seem to bother looking for him either.

~0~

When Rizal was about to take his final rest alive, he called Elias in an almost inaudible whisper. Elias immediately appeared beside him, curled up on the bed. Rizal lightly ruffled the other man’s hair with his hand, smiling as he does so. Elias frowned at the childish action to which Rizal chuckled. “I trust you’ll be fine without me.”

“I am neither fine nor dead without you.” He whispered. He had long since forgotten how to cry. He will not remember now. “I will not exist if not because of you.”

Rizal yawned. “Tell me one last thing before I sleep. How can you read my thoughts?”

“I can only read what you let me.”

“Tell me how.”

Elias sighed. He didn’t really know how to explain it. He can just do it. “I was conceived through your tears, was given birth in your heart, lived in your dreams, and died in your hands.” He started. “My memories are yours to govern. My knowledge is not.”

Rizal slept, seemingly satisfied with his answer. Elias slept with him.

Indeed, some characters are powerful enough to become real on their own.

~0~

When Rizal woke up, he thought Elias was gone. The magic wore off through the night. He was quite relieved though. His lonely friend will not witness another tragedy. Rizal thought that maybe Elias was at his limit and that he could handle no longer. He had seen death like it was a daily occurrence, he killed and was killed. It takes a lot more resilience to accept death and stop mourning about it. If not for Elias’ determined aura, by just looking straight to his eyes, Rizal could cry buckets and drown Elias inside the prison cell. But that would only kill Elias once more.

His thoughts were proven wrong however.

Elias wasn’t gone. He was just a few steps ahead of others, quite literally. It was in his character.

Rizal saw him standing a few meters away from him as the doctor took his pulse rate. He saw him smile, a smile of sincere happiness. _I believe it has been a while since you smiled like that_ , he thought and calmed. The doctor proclaimed his pulse normal.

“Thank you,” Elias whispered in the wind.

_No, thank you._

They shared one last look at each other’s eyes before-

**_Fuego!_ **

Elias’ dark eyes widened. His master turned to face the sun before he finally falls.

_Just as I did…_

Then there was the anticipated gunshot.

So loud, so clear in the silence. You will never miss it.

Elias bowed his head, closed his eyes, and prayed.

_“I die without seeing the dawn brighten over my native land! You, who have it to see, welcome it- and forget not those who have fallen during the night”_

The breeze, a whistle. Gone.

 

It is finished.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a crackfic but something happened, love blossomed and it turned out to be more of an Elias character study XDDD Oh well~~
> 
> Yeah, yeah, I always thought Elias was more of an Andres Bonifacio than Jose Rizal.
> 
> ~Eli OAO
> 
> P.S. Hey Fionah.


End file.
